


Failed Proposal

by gimmekensei



Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: Bets & Wagers, Boys Kissing, Dare, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Loneliness, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:55:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24257758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gimmekensei/pseuds/gimmekensei
Summary: Sanosuke is down in the dumps ever since he asked Saitou to marry him and was rejected. Unaware of what happened, let alone the fact that those two had been a thing, Chou takes on a bet from the other police officers and kisses Sanosuke in order to win the wager. However, he soon finds himself helping Sanosuke out with his troubles.(sorry if that sounds confusing....I tried. Also this will have 3 chapters at most.)
Relationships: Sagara Sanosuke/Saitou Hajime, Sagara Sanosuke/Sawagejou Chou
Comments: 7
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

Sanosuke hadn’t expected this, but hell he wasn’t exactly complaining either. It had been strange to get such a weird request from the Broomhead cop, but here they were, very much wrapped up in each other’s arms. Considering how drawn in Sanosuke was into the kisses, it was getting harder and harder to tell where one man began and the other ended. Shivering when Chou startled him out of his hazy pleasured daze to nip and mark up his bottom lip, Sanosuke huffed and tried to look annoyed, but the look didn’t carry the way he hoped. All Chou saw after all was a blissful rooster looking way too good beneath him. This had all started as a dare from the other cops, who had all bet that the fist-fighter would never give into the idea of kissing the sword hunter. And though Chou had originally decided on this conquest because the money from all the bet earnings would come in handy, especially at the local bar, but now he wasn’t so sure if that really was the real reason he had done this.  
  
“Oi, you doing good?” Chou asked, eyes locked on Sanosuke’s slightly red lips. It seemed all that kissing had left its mark. It wouldn’t last for long though...maybe he should bite those chapped lips a bit more? Make it really clear to the rest of the world that Sanosuke had someone?  
  
“...Saitou...is gonna kill you…” Sanosuke finally whispered out, and though one might think the fighter was mad, his look of pure awe and fascination towards Chou said otherwise. It was as if the rooster was seeing Chou in a whole new light. Who knew that the sword hunter was actually a decent kisser?  
  
“Oh, shit...you two were actually a thing? I thought you guys hated each other’s guts?”  
  
“We do.”  
  
“So….you hate-fuck?”  
  
“Nn...somethin’ like that.” Sanosuke sighed and raked his hands through his hair to try and pull the bangs out of the way. His hair was normally out of control to begin with, but all the rolling around and lip-locking had messed up the strands even further. “Oi, get off. You’re heavy.”  
  
“Tch, ass.” Chou huffed with a light laugh but did pull off of the ahou to settle back, resting up against the nearest wall. Now that he thought about it, he probably shouldn’t have kissed the rooster here in Saitou’s office.  
  
“So….” Sanosuke trailed off, hinting that he wanted the other to speak first, but the blank stare Chou gave showed that Sano was going to have to start the conversation. “So, uh….gonna explain the kiss?”  
  
“What’s there to explain?” Chou asked with a small chuckle.  
  
Sanosuke rolled his eyes and cracked his knuckles, sitting up more to straighten himself. “This kiss idiot. You just kiss everyone out of the blue?”  
  
“Nah...just figured I wanted to kiss ya.” Chou murmured bluntly, ignoring the rooster’s look of confusion. “Figured I’d try it out, y’know?”  
  
“So I was a test trial? Couldn’t you have kissed someone that wasn’t...y’know, in a relationship?”  
  
Chou’s eyes widened only to laugh, gripping his stomach. “Holy shit, you two are really that serious? Don’t tell me you already proposed to him!”  
  
Sanosuke looked like he’d been shot in the face before he ducked his head down, hiding his unsteady look. “...little close to home Broomhead.”  
  
“Well, shit….” Chou went quiet, the atmosphere between them feeling suddenly awkward and cold. “Uh...so he refused, huh?”  
  
“He’s already married, he said.” Sanosuke sighed shakily, running his fingers through his hair before gripping the brown strands to ground himself. “He didn’t even seem flattered when I asked. Just called me an ahou and shut me up with food.”  
  
Chou laughed...almost. He might not be the closest to Sanosuke, but considering the kid wasn’t that bad, and hell they just kissed, he figured he could attempt to be a good guy for a change. “You know him...he’s not known for being all smiles. I wouldn’t take it too badly Sanosuke…”  
  
“Tch, I’m trying not to, but it still fuckin’ hurts…” One of his hands settled down to grip his obi, trying to keep calm and not turn his breath ragged with stress. “I just feel rejected even though he’s still acting as nothing has changed. But for me it has. Like shit, he tried to fuck this morning and I just wasn’t having it.”  
  
Chou’s eyes narrowed at that. “So why did you come here? He would most likely be here, idiot.”  
  
“Because I was gonna break it off with him. But he wasn’t here and you just kissed me out of the blue, so fuck me. This week has been an utter mess.”  
  
“Can’t disagree with that.” Chou sighed only to suddenly reach out and grab Sanosuke’s nearest hand, yanking the fighter over to his side of the room. “How about we get some drinks, huh? I’ll cover the costs and maybe,” His hand wandered to brush against Sanosuke’s cheek. “Maybe we can figure out together how you’ll deal with the wolf.”  
  
“Yeah...yeah…” Sanosuke whispered, though the second time he repeated the word he seemed more sure as he nodded, only to unconsciously lean into the surprisingly tender touch. Who knew that Chou had it in him to be nice? Maybe...this cop wasn’t so bad.  
  
“Thanks Broomhead.”  
  
“Heh, you’re welcome rooster.”

* * *

  
Getting drinks with Chou had actually been nice. It had taken Sanosuke’s mind off things for a starter. Even though it was a bit harsh, people were right that it wasn’t a good sign when Sanosuke seriously took time to think things out. Being carefree and at times stubborn was just who he was at the core.  
  
Stumbling along with Chou’s assistance, he bid him farewell when they finally reached the front of his small apartment. He normally didn’t sleep here anymore, but considering he wasn’t the happiest with a certain wolf, and also didn’t know where they stood anymore meant he wasn’t planning on returning to Saitou’s apartment anytime soon. The asshole could warm his own futon for all he cared. He had enough of being walked over when he’d been trying with all his might to be recognized for a change.  
  
Stepping forward, Sanosuke shoved the key in the lock, turned it and slowly stepped inside, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Fuck, he really did need to buy some new candles…  
  
Stepping forward, Sanosuke finally noticed that he wasn’t the only one in the small room. Eyes adjusting to the lack of light, the rooster sighed internally as a certain pair of golden eyes locked on his.  
  
_It...was going to be a long night._  
  
_Fuck._


	2. Chapter 2

Could this day get any worse? Apparently so. Not that kissing Chou had been the worst thing in the world, but all of that toppled on top of the mess he was already dealing with made this all increasingly worse.    
  
Momentarily Sanosuke scanned the room, looking for a window to climb out of. However considering this was basically just a shack, there wasn’t an escape route that wouldn’t include leaving from the door he’d entered or pushing Saitou out of the way. His heart sunk.    
  
Sanosuke was about to be grateful for all the alcohol in his system that would surely numb him to whatever foolishness Saitou would utter about him, but the sake from earlier seemed to be losing its numbing effects sooner than usual. Yeah, he really needed today to be over with.    
  
“I thought cops aren’t ones for breaking the law? Trespassing was a crime last time I checked.” Sanosuke grumbled out, tossing his key to the side to god knows where and crumbled down onto the floor. He might not be feeling numb, but he’d almost rather still be seated. If it inconvenienced the wolf to have him sitting, well that was his problem. Sanosuke wasn’t exactly in the mood to be pleasing everyone, especially Saitou.    
  
“Ahou, I used the key you gave me.” Saitou murmured, waving a match. It was dark, almost pitch black but with the entry of the small flame, Sanosuke could make out the outline of the cop. If he was in a better mood and hadn’t been rejected earlier, he’d probably find himself appreciating the way the light worked just right on highlighting the cop’s bone structure.    
  
“Don’t smoke in here for the hundredth time, I swear.” Sanosuke breathed, getting only a sigh in reply, but it  looked surprisingly genuine when the cop’s eyes flickered pointedly at him for a still second before lighting a candle with the small flicker of light before blowing it out.    
  
“You’ve been to the station.”    
  
It wasn’t a question, a statement and even with his ‘thick skull’ as broomhead like to put it, Saosuke could register that it was Saitou’s horrible start to a conversation that he wasn’t ready to have. “Yeah and?”    
  
Saitou studied him for a good deal longer, as if debating what should really be addressed but before Sanosuke could fake a cough to remind him he was waiting, he spoke up. “You’re angry.”    
  
“No shit detective.” Sanosuke hissed out between clenched teeth. Talk about an understatement, he was livid! And seriously, was there really a need to state the obvious?    
  
“You’ve made some interesting choices.” Saitou's fingers graced across the box of cigarettes in his hand, but he didn’t take one out just yet. “Kissing my subordinate for one.”    
  
“I could have done worse.” Sanosuke sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. He wasn’t going to ask how the cop figured it out, because of course he did.    
  
“You could have.”    
  
Okay, that was it. Damn Saitou for putting him into this uncomfortable position. “You know exactly why I’m pissed. You haven’t said shit about it since we talked about it, and then you had the audacity to act like nothing is different! Y-You’re married! You could have at least told me before I got myself in this mess!”    
  
Too be expected, Saitou didn’t raise his voice as Sanosuke had. Or even show a ting of anger or any other emotion. That posedness that Sanosuke had learned to adore was suddenly becoming the very thing that the fist-fighter couldn’t stand. He knew an animal was behind that mask the cop wore, so why couldn’t he be afforded the decency of actually seeing, let alone hearing how the wolf actually felt??    
  
“There seems to be a misunderstanding.” Saitou held his hand up to silence a blistering Sano. “Yes, I am married. However, it is merely for standing alone. She is happily away living her life as she so chooses and I have committed to the same. There is no love there, only friendship.”    
  
“How does that make anything better?” Sanosuke whispered out, bunching up the fabric of his pants in his fists. Yeah, he felt better knowing that there wasn’t any love, but the commentary didn’t do much to help soothe the earlier hurt. All it did was just leave him more increasingly conflicted.    
  
“It doesn’t, but it did clarify this.”    
  
Sanosuke didn’t know the officer had moved until he heard the sound of a sword being rested on the ground and felt a hand cover his own. “Ahou…” A pause. Then a correction. “Sanosuke. It was a miscalculation.”    
  
“The hell does that even mean?” Sanosuke bit out, growing more confused but he didn’t pull his hand away from that familiar touch.    
  
“I thought how I felt was clear, but considering how you’ve been behaving, I didn’t make it obvious. Marriage doesn’t always signify a way one might feel. Ahou, I don’t need a ring to be content with living the rest of my years with you.”    
  
“You don’t make shit obvious. It’s a bitch trying to read you.” Sagara chuckled at first only to watch in amusement when Saitou’s lips curled ever so slightly up. The cop wasn’t saying it, but things were starting to click into place. It should mean something that Saitou was here, right? And dammit...he was so exhausted at being mad...he just wanted to go home, and force Saitou to cuddle him all night.    
  
“You wanna live the rest of your years with me? I’m gonna make that entire head of hair of yours silver.” Kami, he really was trying hard to not think too hard about what the wolf had said, because considering who he was dealing with, that might as well be a ‘I love you’.   
  
“Perhaps…” Saitou hmmed, gracefully pulling his gloves off before reaching up to cup Sanosuke’s face, gently stroking the skin with the back of his thumbs. There was nothing sexual behind the act, rather an attempt at reassurance, at tenderness and care. Rarely would the wolf consider an action of his as a fault or even a mistake. But there had been no intention to anger his ahou this way, and mistakenly he had. It was clear that there was still some healing to be had, but from how Sanosuke shuddered and nuzzled the hands holding his face, it seemed they were now at least headed in the right direction. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long to update! Probably going to return to this at some point to clean it up since I have the habit of doing that.


End file.
